What is Maui's Ark?

Voyaging waka by artist George Nuku, made using recyclable bottles. Photo used with permission of the artist.

Maui’s Ark is a place for all who want to keep the sea healthy for all times and for all who enjoy it.

The sea has a special place for New Zealand. Our ancestors all arrived across it; our myths and our memory are largely maritime. Our maritime domain is 15 times our land area – the fourth biggest Exclusive Economic Zone in the world. The sea is our playground, our sustainer and our pathway to the world.

Like Maui, we draw our sense of place from the sea. It is ours to nurture and protect. We invite you to come aboard Maui’s Ark. Here you will discover how easy it is to make a positive difference.

Maui’s Ark is a gathering place for New Zealand’s best ideas on how to safeguard the blessing that is our ocean so we can keep it healthy for future generations. It is the flagship of kaitiakitangi –our collective guardianship. On its journey, scientists, artists, mariners, recreationalists, captains of industry, entrepreneurs, iwi, community action groups, curious kids and their smart parents will swap ideas and come up with solutions for limiting and reducing the harm caused to the oceans by thoughtless and wasteful aspects of our modern living.